Timber council wants to hear from islanders

For the first time ever, islanders have the chance to share their opinions about how much timber should be cut here. The Haida Gwaii Management Council, the new council made up of two Haida representatives and two provincial representatives, plus chair Derek Thompson, will be setting a new annual allowable cut for the islands in the new year. But before the council makes the AAC decision, Mr. Thompson said, it wants to hear from islanders. The council has released a public discussion paper that outlines various aspects of the AAC and is accepting public comments between Nov. 3 and Dec. 17. “This is the first time the public have had an opportunity to provide this sort of input to a process like this,” Mr. Thompson said. “It’s also the first time the annual allowable cut is being set by anybody other than the chief forester.” And finally, it’s the first time that the AAC will be set for all of Haida Gwaii, he said, rather than the individual tenure holders. Mr. Thompson said it’s an important opportunity and he hopes islanders come forward with their opinions about the cut level. So far, he said, the management committee has not received any comments. You can find the discussion paper at the management council’s website, www.haidagwaiimanagementcouncil.ca